Wilted Rose
by Solora Goldsun
Summary: Team RWBY has been drifting apart over the course of several months. Feeling tired and isolated in Vale, Ruby decides to spend a few days with Team JNPR in their house by the woods. There, her friends offer healing, comfort, and perhaps more. (House Hunting AU. Established Poly!JNPR. Eventual Juniper Rose. Commission for miner249er.)
1. The Visit

**Greetings, friends! It's finally happening: I'm open for commissions again! *glorious fanfare music* This first commission is for miner249er, who wanted a chapter story taking place in the House Hunting AU, where Ruby stays with Team JNPR after feeling isolated due to Team RWBY drifting apart. Juniper Berries is established. If you want more context for this AU, check out "House Hunting" and "Move-In Day." Enjoy!**

Ruby sat alone on the couch, staring at the walls. Her silver eyes held a frustrated, yet incredibly tired look, and she was glad that there was no one there to keep count of how many pathetic sighs she had probably heaved over the past hour.

Her teammates weren't around. They were hardly ever around anymore. She knew where they probably were, though. Weiss was at some important dinner or meeting. Blake was at another protest. Yang was at one of the many clubs in town, living it up and probably getting into a few fights.

Thinking back to the last hunt Team RWBY had gone on, Ruby smiled wistfully. Hunts were the only times when her team truly felt like a team anymore. Whatever else happened, they could still fight together. Still, for Ruby, that wasn't enough.

How many nights had she sat alone, staring at the wall? When was the last time she had truly had any fun or felt like part of a group?

Immediately, her thoughts went to Team JNPR. Thinking of how well they got along, and how deeply they loved each other (romantic relationship notwithstanding), Ruby wondered where her team had gone wrong. In the beginning, Teams RWBY and JNPR were both as closely-knit as any team could be. The members believed in their leader and all trusted each other.

After graduation, Team JNPR had started living together in a house a distance away from the city. Team RWBY had helped them move in, and Ruby still remembered the warm, loving atmosphere that had filled the house. When Jaune would kiss Pyrrha, when Nora would leap into Jaune's arms, when Pyrrha would rub Ren's shoulders, when Ren would smile softly at Nora's goofy antics, Ruby always felt a pang of longing. She knew that Team RWBY could never be like that.

 _We don't have to be, though,_ Ruby thought. _We just need to start actually acting like a team again._

When they weren't on hunts, the members of Team RWBY went their separate ways. Weiss had taken over as the head of the Schnee Dust Company, and was hard at work improving Faunus working conditions and the company's overall business reputation. Blake had thrown herself into Faunus Civil Rights, and was using her influence as a Huntress at rallies against discrimination and against the White Fang. Yang, loving every perk her fame brought her, had taken to seeking even greater thrills in her spare time, getting into brawls, doing amateur motorcycle shows, and living each day like it was her last.

Ruby understood the need to have lives independent of each other, she really did! And, in the case of Weiss and Blake, she knew that they were doing a lot of good in their respective fields. Still, at this point, she wondered if her teammates even truly considered her to be a real part of their lives anymore.

 _If I just left, would they even notice?_ she wondered.

Then, her eyes widened. That actually didn't sound like a bad idea. It would be about two weeks until their next scheduled hunt, unless there was an emergency. In that case, she had her Scroll and could easily return home.

She thought again of Team JNPR. Jaune had always said that she and the others were free to visit anytime. She hesitated only for a moment before taking out her Scroll and dialing her friend's number.

After two rings, a familiar voice said "Hey, Ruby. What's new?"

Ruby smiled at her friend's usual, cheery tone. "Hey, Jaune. I was wondering: Is it okay if I come over for a few days?"

"Sure." Jaune's voice took on a concerned edge. "Is everything okay?"

"Not really," Ruby sighed. "It's nothing urgent, but I need to get away for a bit. I can tell you more when I get there."

"Okay. Want one of us to wait at the airship station?"

"No, I'll be…" Ruby trailed off, thinking of the long airship ride between the center of town and the area where Team JNPR's house was. "Well, if it's not too much trouble…"

"Say no more," Jaune said. "Be at the station at noon tomorrow."

Ruby wiped her eyes. During the past few months, she had gotten used to taking care of herself. Being reminded of how ready some of her friends were to just drop everything for her sake was definitely heartening. "Thanks, Jaune."

…

The next day, when Ruby arrived at the airship station with a stuffed duffel bag, she was surprised to see all four members of Team JNPR waiting for her.

Nora jumped up. "Dibs on first hug!" Zipping over, she threw her arms around Ruby, hugging her tightly. "Hiya, Ruby!"

"Hrk! Hi, Nora," Ruby replied, wheezing as Nora squeezed her ribcage.

Jaune approached and placed a hand on Nora's shoulder. "Nora, we're here to help Ruby, not suffocate her."

Nora pouted. "Oh, she gets hugged by Yang on a regular basis. She's used to it."

"Where is Yang?" Pyrrha wondered, her brows furrowed as she looked at Ruby. "Jaune said you sounded sad when you called. We're all here for you, of course, but wouldn't it have been easier to go to Yang or the others for help?"

Ruby sighed, staring at the ground. "I'm not sure where they are right now. Even if I knew, they probably wouldn't have time to talk."

The members of Team JNPR exchanged concerned glances. Jaune gave Ruby's shoulder a light shake. "Well, the next ship to our house doesn't leave for an hour. Why don't we walk around town a bit? We can get some coffee, and you can tell us what's been happening."

Ruby nodded, allowing a full smile to come to her face. "Okay."

As they walked through town, Ruby tried to stay close to buildings, or between two of the JNPR members. Jaune was about to ask about it, when a loud voice behind them called: "Omigosh, it's Ruby Rose!"

Ruby visibly winced, then turned around, pasting a grin onto her face. "Hi, there!"

The source of the excited cry, one of a group of three teen girls, ran over. "I can't believe it's you! I heard all about that fight against that flock of Nevermores last week. Legendary!"

"Heh, thank you." Ruby rubbed bashfully at the back of her neck.

The girl pulled a notebook out of her bag. "I know you probably get this a lot, but can I have your autograph?"

"Sure." With a practiced hand, Ruby took the notebook and started writing in it. "What's your name?"

"Melody!" The girl squealed as Ruby wrote out a message. "This is so cool! Thanks!"

"No problem." Ruby handed the notebook back and smiled at the other girls. "Well, I'm kinda hanging out with some friends from out of town, so…"

"Oh, I get it!" Melody quickly replied. "No problem! Thanks again! You're awesome!" She walked off, giggling loudly with her friends.

Once she was out of sight, Ruby's shoulders slumped and she let out a long breath. "Well, that wasn't as bad as it could've been." She eyed her cloak. "Maybe I should've ditched this."

Pyrrha made a sympathetic noise in her throat. "I think I'm starting to see why you need to get away for a bit." She thought back to her early days of fame and shook her head. "It can get a bit overwhelming."

"That's definitely part of it," Ruby muttered. "You guys know me: I don't like being around lots of people unless they're my friends. Getting stopped on the street all the time…sometimes I just don't leave the apartment, because I don't want to risk it!" She laughed a little. "I'm surprised she didn't notice you, Pyrrha."

Pyrrha glanced to the side, coughing guiltily. "Well, I might have hidden behind Jaune when she came running up. I've learned a lot about avoiding excited fans over the years."

Ruby grinned wryly. "Maybe you can give me some pointers."

"Well, back to getting that coffee," Jaune said. "You can walk between us if you want."

They were thankfully able to reach the coffeehouse without any further incident. They ordered drinks and pastries and sat down at one of the corner tables, where Ruby went into greater detail about the slow breaking of her team.

"I mean, I only ever see them when we're called on hunts. I'm starting to wonder if there's any point to being on a team. Maybe I should go solo like Uncle Qrow." She shook her head. "I always wondered why Qrow and Dad aren't better friends, since they were on a team together. Now, I'm starting to get it. Stuff happened and they just grew apart. I didn't think that would ever happen to Team RWBY, but it is, and I don't know how to stop it."

"Have you talked to your teammates about this?" Ren asked, speaking for the first time. He sipped thoughtfully at a cup of green tea. "It doesn't seem like they're ignoring you on purpose, and I know they care about you."

"No." Ruby stared at her hot cocoa. "I…I'm worried that I might bother them if I start saying stuff like this." She shook her head. "Ugh. I never used to worry about that before, not even with Weiss…"

"It definitely sounds like you need a break," Jaune murmured, looking at his old friend's sad expression and thoughtful eyes. "So, when we get on the airship, I want you to stop worrying. You're going to eat Ren's awesome cooking, hang out with us, and relax for a few days."

"Just promise that you'll talk to your teammates about what's troubling you," Pyrrha added. "It would be better for all of you if you did."

Ruby nodded, taking a resolute swig of her drink. "Okay. It's a deal."

A few hours later, the airship landed on the outskirts of the land that held Team JNPR's semi-isolated house. The five walked toward it, and Ruby took a moment to appreciate how much more like a home it looked now than when they had first unpacked. The exterior was a pale pink color that Nora had chosen. The green shutters and flower boxes made the place look especially cheerful. Exercise and training equipment was scattered in the front yard. Some of it was well-polished and organized, probably belonging to Pyrrha. Other pieces were worn, toppled over, or left in various locations, leading Ruby to guess that they belonged to Nora.

The scent of cinnamon potpourri greeted them when Jaune unlocked the door and led them inside. The living room, which had been empty except for a sofa, two armchairs, a coffee table, and a lot of boxes the last time Ruby visited, was now a well-worn living space. The couch and armchairs had an assortment of plush pillows and the coffee table sat with a half-finished chess game on top. A few other pillows and board games were scattered throughout the room, and there were several posters on the walls. The kitchen, of course, was as immaculate as before. Ren wouldn't allow for anything less, after all.

"We're using the sofa as our guest bed," Jaune said. "As you can see, there are more than enough pillows. There's a bathroom just over there, plus the one in our room."

"We're still building the hot tub out back," Nora said. "If you come back in a month, you'll be able to use it."

"This place is amazing." Ruby looked around, already feeling at home. "And you haven't had any problems with Grimm?"

"We sometimes get a stray Boarbatusk or Beowolf." Pyrrha shrugged. "It's nothing we can't handle. The windows are reinforced with earth Dust, just in case there's an attack while we're gone."

Ren cleared his throat. "Now that we're back, I should start dinner. Any requests?" he asked, glancing at Ruby.

"Well, that spaghetti you made when we were moving you in here was pretty good."

Ren smiled. "I'll get started on the sauce now." He ducked into the kitchen.

"I'll help him out," Jaune said. "You girls can help Ruby unpack."

"Thanks again!" Ruby called as Jaune followed Ren.

Jaune smiled, though his expression faded once he was in the kitchen. Ren was looking at him with a similar frown. "So, what do you think?" Jaune muttered in a low voice.

"I think Team RWBY needs to sit down and have a serious talk," Ren replied as he took some tomatoes and basil from the fridge. "Could you get the cheese grater?"

Jaune took the grater from one of the drawers. "I mean, they've had fights before, but this is almost worse. Do you think Ruby was right, and that they'll all end up going solo?"

Ren shrugged. "It's not uncommon. If it does happen, however, it should be with the full consent and understanding of all four of them, not because they drifted apart the way they're doing. This current scenario will lead to awkwardness and friendships that have tapered into nothing. That's not good for any of them, especially after all they've gone through together."

Jaune sighed, taking some parmesan cheese from the freezer and starting to grate it into a bowl. "Why can't all teams be like us? I mean, we fight sometimes, but it's never anything huge. And we can always talk to each other."

At this, Ren smiled. "Well, the fact that we're all in love with each other gives us a bit of an advantage."

Jaune laughed. "True." He paused long enough to kiss Ren's cheek. "I'm glad you were all okay with letting Ruby stay."

"She's our friend," Ren said calmly. "She's always welcome." He chopped up the tomatoes and placed them in a large pot. "Could you get the black pepper?"

Meanwhile, Ruby was sitting with Nora and Pyrrha on the couch. Since she had only brought her clothes, Crescent Rose, and a few books, there wasn't much unpacking that needed to be done. Instead, she curled up next to Pyrrha while listening to Nora ramble about her latest idea: pancakes with the syrup on the inside.

"You see, you'd have to use hardened syrup, so that it wouldn't go all over the place. Put it on top of the batter once the first layer is cooked, then add more batter and flip it over." She grinned triumphantly. "It's perfect!"

"But, wouldn't part of the pancake be undercooked?" Pyrrha asked.

Nora frowned. "Oh, yeah… What if it was cooked longer?"

"Part of it would burn."

"Hm…" Nora became silent as she pondered this new hitch in her brilliant idea.

Pyrrha chuckled. "Keep working on it." She kissed Nora gently before looking at Ruby. "Are you feeling better?"

"Much." Ruby pondered whether or not it would be okay to snuggle against Pyrrha's side like Nora was doing. She hadn't had much in the way of physical contact lately.

Pyrrha, reading Ruby's expression, pulled her close in a friendly hug. "I'm glad. Just remember, this is only a passing thing. Your team has gone through too much to truly break apart. In times like this, people come back together and their friendship is stronger than it was before."

Ruby nodded, leaning into Pyrrha's comforting warmth. "I hope you're right." She closed her eyes, savoring the closeness of her friends and the scent of homemade tomato sauce that was beginning to drift in from the kitchen. "I really hope you're right."

 **I have three open commission slots, folks. Just PM me with details concerning what you want and what the word count should be. I charge $10 per 1000 words, and don't do OCs, crossovers, or Lemons. Otherwise, I'm willing to hear whatever you got.**

 **Until the next update, praise Monty and peace out!**


	2. A Walk with Jaune

**Greetings, friends! We are back with another chapter. As per the request, this and the next three chapters will focus specifically on Ruby's interactions with each of the JNPR members, then it'll all come together in the last two chapters. Enjoy!**

Jaune woke up the following morning with a weight on his chest. He didn't have to open his eyes to know that Nora had crawled on top of him during the night. Smiling, he wrapped an arm around her and nuzzled a lazy kiss into her hair. She shifted and sighed in her sleep, scooting up and nestling her face in the curve of his shoulder.

Letting out a yawn, Jaune allowed himself the luxury of waking up slowly. He felt Pyrrha's warmth on his left side, along with her even breaths caressing his arm. To his right, a few inches away, was Ren, who tended to scoot away from the others over the course of the night. They had asked if he was uncomfortable sleeping with the rest of them, but he insisted that he enjoyed it. He just sometimes needed more space once he was actually asleep.

Gently, Jaune moved Nora off his chest, so she was lying next to Pyrrha. The next five minutes were spent moving out of the bed without waking any of the others (a skill they had all become well-practiced in). Once he was up, he put on his bunny slippers and walked out of the room.

Ruby was still fast asleep on the couch. Deciding to let her sleep for a little while longer, Jaune went into the kitchen and turned on the coffee pot. Remembering Ruby's preferences, he put some milk on the stove for cocoa.

When he went back into the living room, bearing two mugs, he saw that Ruby was sitting up and staring blearily around. He grinned. "Morning, Crater Face."

Ruby blinked, then returned his smile. "Hey, Jaune." Her face lit up further when he handed her a cup of cocoa with several mini marshmallows. "Thanks!" She blew on the hot beverage as Jaune sat down in the nearby armchair.

"So, did you sleep well?" he asked, picking one of the many pillows off of the floor. "Did you have enough pillows?"

"More than enough," Ruby assured him with a laugh. "And I slept great!" She took a sip. "The fact that Ren's cooking always puts me in a food coma doesn't hurt."

"That is a definite side effect of living here," Jaune agreed. "So, the others probably won't be up for another hour. Wanna take a walk around the woods before breakfast? It's pretty relaxing, and you can tell me more about what's been happening, if you want."

Ruby took another swig and nodded. "That sounds perfect."

A few minutes later, the two were dressed and walking out into the chilly fall air. Leaves of rust-red, deep gold, pale orange, and nut-brown carpeted the ground and fell from the branches above. A black squirrel, disturbed by the humans' footfalls, scampered up a tree and chattered angrily.

Ruby looked up at the squirrel. "When I was little, I thought the black squirrels were tiny Grimm."

"Really?" Jaune chuckled. "When did you figure out that they weren't?"

"When I threw a rock at one, and its Aura made it bounce right back and hit me in the eye." Ruby shook her head, snickering a little. "Even at five, I wanted to fight Grimm." Her expression sobered as she watched the squirrel climb to a higher branch. "I guess I'm technically living the dream right now. For a few weeks, that's exactly what it felt like."

Jaune waited patiently for Ruby to start walking again, then led her down one of the paths he had made with the others. "So, you guys were all together in the beginning."

"Yeah." Ruby smiled as she thought back. "It was just like at Beacon, only better, since we didn't have to go to classes. We'd train together, hang out together, and hunt together. We got that large apartment, so we could keep living together." She scuffed her feet as she walked. "I guess it started when Weiss's dad retired and she inherited the Schnee Dust Company. She had to be away from home a lot, which was understandable."

"It's hard juggling being a Huntress along with something like that," Jaune said.

"I know that!" Ruby insisted. "I really, really do. Still, she had always talked about how she wanted to be a Huntress before anything else. We figured that we'd see more of her once she got settled and got some underlings to handle things while she was training. But she showed up to training less and less."

Ruby breathed a sigh. "As that happened, I guess Blake and Yang felt it was okay to drift away too. It makes me wonder: Did everyone but me stay together as a team out of obligation, or because that was what they were used to? Am I the only one who _wants_ to stay together?" She shook her head. "I'm not sure. Anyway, Blake started getting involved with Faunus Civil Rights, which is awesome! But… I don't know, does she have to go to _every single_ protest? Doesn't she get tired, or something?"

"Well, you know Blake." Jaune shrugged. "She tends to neglect herself when she's pursuing something important."

Ruby nodded. "Exactly. I tried talking to her about it, but she brushed me off. Then, I tried asking to hang out in order to get her to rest, and she kept saying she was busy. Then, I just tried hanging out because I hadn't seen her in ages… I went to a few protests, partially to help out, partially so I could spend time with Blake." She shuddered. "I got mobbed by so many fans, I had to stop."

"You've become pretty popular, huh?" Jaune asked, looking at her sympathetically. Pyrrha had always talked about how exhausting fame could be. Ruby, introverted as she was, was likely having even more trouble.

"Yep," Ruby sighed. "Yang's been loving it. She's been making public appearances all over the place during the day. At night, she goes to clubs and parties like a crazy person. She's been using the extra money from our hunts to go on solo thrill-seeking trips." She looked at Jaune. "And I know she's having fun. I know they're all doing well. So…am I being selfish or petty for feeling this way? Am I stuck in the past? Should I just go my own way too?"

The way Ruby asked told Jaune that she had been agonizing over this question for a long time. "First of all, I don't think you're being overly selfish, and you're definitely not being petty. You're feeling overwhelmed by the fame you've been getting, and feel like you can't turn to your teammates because they're too busy." He ruffled her hair. "Also, you've never been one for social situations, so you only have a few people you like hanging out with. When you suddenly lose those people, it's not easy to shake the feeling of isolation. Am I right?"

Ruby's shoulders slumped with relief at Jaune's words. "You know me so well." She looked at the ground. "It's not like I want them to stop living their own lives. I just want to be a part of their lives still, and I want them to be a part of each other's lives. After four years of training together and being friends, it just feels wrong that we can suddenly drift apart like this. I can't even remember the last time I had a real conversation with any of them."

"I think that'll be your first step," Jaune advised. "When you go home, talk to them." He paused at a curve in the trail. "Let's start back. Ren's probably making breakfast by now." They turned back toward the entrance to the forest. "In the meantime, maybe you should find something to take up your time. Whether it's a hobby or taking a few extra missions, it might help."

"I could take some extra missions," Ruby allowed. "Qrow would do that a lot when Team STRQ was just starting out after school." Her brows furrowed. "Though…we know what happened to them…"

"You guys aren't the same way," Jaune assured her. "I know that none of you would just leave without a word the way Raven did. And none of you fight the way you say Qrow and your dad do."

"That's true." Ruby smiled ruefully up at Jaune. "I'm probably sounding like a total pessimist, huh?"

Jaune wrapped a comforting arm around her shoulders. "Don't worry about it. A few days with us will bring back the cheerful, peppy Ruby we all know and love."

Ruby leaned gratefully into her friend's side. "Thanks, Jaune. And thanks for listening."

"Anytime, Ruby." Jaune gave her a brief, one-armed hug. "Anytime."

When they got back, the others were in the kitchen. Ren was flipping pancakes while tending to a pan of bacon and another pan of scrambled eggs. "How much do you guys want?" he asked without turning around.

"Two pancakes, some eggs, and three strips of bacon," Jaune promptly replied.

"I'll just have some eggs and two pieces of bacon," Ruby said. "Is there any toast?"

"The bread's on the counter by the toaster. Help yourself." Pyrrha was already half-finished with what looked like an egg and bacon sandwich. "Did you have a nice walk?"

"Yep!" Ruby put some bread in the toaster and uncovered a container of butter. "I'm already feeling a lot better. Thanks again for having me."

"You're always welcome, Ruby," Pyrrha said. "You can stay for as long as you like."

"Ooh!" Nora perked up. "We should totally have a slumber party tonight! I still have some rented scary movies we haven't watched yet. Ren, is there still popcorn?"

"You bought the bulk box, Nora. Unless you ate all twelve bags in less than a week, we should still have some." Ren paused, glancing over his shoulder. "Uh, you haven't eaten all twelve bags, have you?"

Nora rolled her eyes. "Please, Ren. I have _some_ limits."

"Except with pancakes," Jaune added.

"Well, yeah."

After breakfast, Ruby helped with the dishes. The day passed as it normally would at the JNPR household, with Ruby effortlessly fitting in. They trained together, ate lunch at different times, hung out in the living room playing chess or reading, walked around outside, and then came together in the evening for dinner. By this point, Ruby honestly felt as if she had been living with Team JNPR for years and was every bit as part of their regular routine as the actual team members were.

She waited with Jaune and Pyrrha in the living room, glancing occasionally at the kitchen. "I feel bad. Should I go in and offer to help?"

"Nora's already helping," Pyrrha replied. "Ren doesn't like having too many people around when he's cooking. He says it gets too crowded."

Ruby giggled. "I've always heard that most great chefs are pretty fussy. Ren should cook professionally."

"That's what I keep saying," Jaune laughed. "He could probably out-diva most of the people on those cooking shows."

Pyrrha gently swatted their shoulders. "Oh, hush. Ren's a fantastic cook. If that means dealing with some fussiness, I don't mind."

"Neither do we!" Ruby said quickly. "We're just kidding, right Jaune?"

"Definitely." Jaune grinned. "Pyrrha just likes to lecture. Don't you, Pyrrha?" He stuck his tongue out.

Pyrrha shoved him easily off the couch, smirking. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Dinner's ready," Ren called. "And you'd better leave the roughhousing in the living room."

"Yes, Dad. Whatever you say, Dad," Jaune said in a nasally voice, causing Pyrrha to playfully swat him again. He stood up, winking at Ruby, who tried to keep from giggling too loudly.

Later that night, everyone put on their pajamas and gathered in the bedroom. Nora and Ruby brought all of the extra pillows in from the living room and proceeded to make a pillow fort. Ren arranged a giant bowl of popcorn, some cans of soda, and some candy bars left over from Grimm Night, making sure the table was a safe distance from the bed. Pyrrha looked through the rented DVDs, frowning at the titles.

"Nora, these look terrible." She squinted at the back of one of them. "I can see the strings holding up the bats!"

"That's part of it!" Nora insisted. "But that's one of the campy ones. Go for a scary one. The black and white one with the zombies on the cover is awesome."

" _Night of the Living Dead_?" Pyrrha nodded. "This looks decent."

"Uh, it's one of the most famous zombie films of all time." Nora rolled her eyes. "Really, guys. What would you do without me?"

"Save money on syrup and pancake batter," Ren said dryly.

"Meanie!" Nora threw a pillow, barely missing the popcorn bowl.

"Careful!" Ren picked up the pillow and tossed it back. "Any popcorn that falls on the floor is yours, you know."

"Pfft. I'm a Huntress. I think I can handle floor popcorn."

The five settled down on the floor, making sure the popcorn bowl and candy were within reach for everyone. Ren sat down at the edge of the pillow fort with a happy Nora curled up in his lap. Jaune leaned against one of the pillow piles, smiling when Pyrrha rested her head on his shoulder.

Ruby sat a foot away on Jaune's other side, enjoying the overall warmth of the room and the smell of popcorn. When was the last time Team RWBY had had a movie night like this?

Jaune glanced toward Ruby. After a moment's consideration, he held out an arm. Ruby looked over, tilting her head. At his encouraging nod, she smiled and scooted over so she was next to him, snuggling against his side. Her smile widened when Pyrrha softly pushed her bangs back.

The five stayed up all night, the silence between them only broken when someone would get more popcorn, change movies, or adjust a wall of the pillow fort. When they finally did fall asleep, they did so where they sat, with the early morning sun casting a rosy hue on their peaceful faces.

 **This is a fun stretch for me. I usually don't pair Ruby with guys, and she and Jaune are my BroTP in canon. Still, basically any ship that includes Ruby promises to be the most pure and precious thing on the planet. Same with Pyrrha. Hm…maybe that's why people like the Milk and Cereal pairing so much.**

 **Anyway, I still have two commission slots open. If you're interested in showing monthly support for extra rewards, such as early knowledge of when I open for commissions, consider pledging to my P/atreon under Solora Goldsun.**

 **Peace out!**


	3. Sparring with Pyrrha

**Greetings, my lovelies! We're back with the third chapter of this wonderful little poly story. Enjoy!**

Pyrrha awoke to the feeling of Jaune's arm around her and the sound of her teammates' and Ruby's steady breathing. She hummed contentedly as her eyelids fluttered open. Even after all this time, she never got tired of the feeling of waking up in a warm embrace or snuggled up against someone she loved. Seeing Jaune, Ren, and Nora before anything or anyone else each day was a gift, and she never forgot that.

Her gaze went to Ruby, and her smile widened. She moved back a little, so she could look at the adorable scene next to her. Jaune had slumped back against the pillows during the night and Ruby had curled into a ball on his chest, like how Nora was known to do. One of her small hands was gripping at the soft material of Jaune's blue bunny pajamas.

Pyrrha found herself wanting to pull Ruby into her arms and hold her until she woke up. In the case of Ren or Nora, she would have done so without hesitation. Instead, not wanting to be too forward, she settled for placing a blanket over the two and kissing Jaune's cheek.

Looking at the sleeping pair, her thoughts went back to her early days at Beacon, before she had fully realized what her potential for love truly was. At that time, she had only held romantic feelings for Jaune, and had been unsure of whether he would ever return her affections. Between his crush on Weiss and his closeness to Ruby, Pyrrha honestly hadn't thought she would have a chance with him.

Then, miracle of miracles, they came together during their second semester, as did Ren and Nora. Then, by the end of that same semester, the team slowly found out that they were even happier and found even more comfort when they were _all_ together.

During those early days, Pyrrha had asked Jaune if he had ever considered pursuing a relationship with Ruby. By this point, they all knew that Weiss was out of the question.

Jaune had admitted that there was a part of him that loved Ruby. She had been his first friend at Beacon, after all. Still, he was satisfied with what he had with his team, and Ruby had never expressed a desire to be involved romantically with anyone. He felt that there was no point in potentially making things awkward if everyone was already content.

 _Well, Ruby certainly isn't content with how things are anymore,_ Pyrrha thought as she looked at her friend's relaxed, peaceful face, which was a welcome contrast to the sad frown and troubled eyes that had dominated her expression when the team had first picked her up from Vale. _At least she's been happier since coming here._

Pyrrha was glad that she and the others could help Ruby in some way. She had always liked the younger, bright-eyed Huntress. There was a sense of hope and happiness in Ruby that emanated from her like a glow, touching those closest to her. Anyone who was friends with her knew this, and was grateful to be a part of her life.

That was why Pyrrha was sure that the main problem with Team RWBY was a lack of communication. No sane person would willingly cut ties with Ruby, especially after being so close to her for so long.

In fact, if she was going to be completely honest with herself, Pyrrha was wholly unopposed to the idea of being even closer to Ruby. She had known this for perhaps two years at this point but, like Jaune, had decided against changing the status quo, since everyone had been satisfied with how things already were.

Now, however, she couldn't help but wonder if there was a chance for things to change for all of them. Of course, she wouldn't want anything to happen that would further cause Team RWBY to come apart, but maybe there was a way to work with how things were going currently. With the rest of the team doing their own thing, there was more reason for Ruby to visit Team JNPR more often. If that ended up being the case, who knew what might end up happening?

Pyrrha was shaken from her thoughts when Jaune, ever the early riser, stirred. He moaned softly, prompting Pyrrha to kiss his forehead. His eyes opened, and he smiled drowsily up at her.

"Morning," he murmured, scooting over so he could rest his head on her shoulder. His movement jostled Ruby, who mumbled something inaudible in her sleep.

"Good morning," Pyrrha replied, resting her cheek in his soft, messy hair. "Did you sleep well."

"Mm hm." Jaune glanced down at Ruby, bringing up a hand to rub her back. "She's looking better, don't you think?"

"Definitely." Pyrrha noticed Ruby starting to move a little more. "Looks like we woke her up."

Ruby awoke slowly, aware only of a very comforting warmth surrounding her. It reminded of her of when she was younger and often slept with Yang. She stretched her limbs, then snuggled closer to the warmth, making a contented noise in her throat.

"Hey," Jaune whispered. "You awake?"

"Hm? Jaune?" Ruby blinked a few times, then realized where she was. She stiffened, her drowsiness fading immediately as her face started burning. "D-Did I fall asleep on you? Sorry!" She started to sit up, but stopped when Pyrrha touched her arm.

"You're fine where you are, Ruby."

When Ruby felt Jaune soothingly rubbing her shoulder, she relaxed and allowed herself to cuddle against his chest again, though a shade of pink continued to dust her cheeks. Pyrrha's hand remained on her arm, which was perfectly fine by her. She closed her eyes, deciding to rest for a few more minutes. "How late did we stay up?" she wondered.

"Not sure," Jaune said. "Definitely past midnight."

"That was a lot of fun," Ruby murmured. "Thanks, guys."

"We can do it again while you're here, if you want," Pyrrha said. "Our next mission assignment won't be for a while." A thought occurred to her. "Speaking of missions, would you like to spar with me today one-on-one? I know we did some training the other day, but some intensive sparring would probably be good for both of us."

Ruby sat up, eyes shining. "That sounds awesome!" Now that she thought about it, it had been ages since she'd last had a good sparring session with anyone, and even longer since she'd sparred with Team JNPR. "Can we go right after breakfast?"

"Of course." Pyrrha smiled fondly at Ruby's eagerness.

The three sat together, talking quietly until Nora woke up. Of course, Nora waking up automatically meant that Ren was going to be up in a few minutes.

"Ren, time to get up! Wake up!" Nora shook her best friend's shoulders. When he groaned and tried to swat her away, she leaned in and started peppering his face with kisses. "Come on, Ren! Wakey, wakey!"

Ruby watched the two, giggling at how adorable they were. "Are they like this every morning?" she asked as Ren pulled a blanket over himself in a futile attempt to block Nora.

"Pretty much," Jaune replied, shaking his head. "If Pyrrha or I are still asleep when she wakes up, she'll do that to us too."

Of course, Ren was eventually forced to get up. Unwilling to admit total defeat, he elected to sit up and pull Nora into his lap, effectively muffling her voice against his chest. She whined and he flashed a sleepy smirk.

Pyrrha crawled the short distance to where the two sat and shared a warm kiss with Ren. "Are you two quite finished?"

"Probably not," Nora replied, prying her face away from Ren so she could grin up at Pyrrha. "Don't I get a good morning kiss?"

Pyrrha obligingly touched her lips to Nora's while Ren kissed the top of his best friend's head.

Ruby sighed quietly, leaning her cheek against Jaune's chest. _Every minute is like this for them,_ she thought with more than a small hint of envy. _They all love each other so much, they're together all day, and they never get tired of each other._

She could feel Jaune's heartbeat against her cheek, which darkened a little as she wondered, not for the first or last time, what it would be like to be a part of the strange, wonderful relationship Team JNPR had managed to build.

A little while later, the five sat down to breakfast. Ruby noticed that, regardless of what Ren was serving in the morning, pancakes were always included. Even in the case of today, when he was making French toast, there was still an extra pan of flapjacks.

After breakfast, Ruby went outside with Pyrrha, holding Crescent Rose in one hand. The training equipment was moved to one side in order to give the two more room. Then, with a nod from both of them, they started.

For a while, they sparred in silence. Ruby was re-acquainted with Pyrrha's polarity Semblance while Pyrrha remembered just how fast Ruby was. Their years at Beacon showed, as any amateur watching from a distance would likely think that the two were actually fighting. While there were several scrapes, cuts, and bruises involved, that was of course not the case.

Eventually, as the two fell into a rhythm, Pyrrha started asking Ruby about her team. Perhaps talking while fighting would be therapeutic in some way. "You mentioned that Weiss has been largely spending her time with her company," she said as she threw her shield. "I always thought that she hadn't wanted to inherit it."

Ruby blocked the shield throw and darted to the side, shooting several bullets from Crescent Rose (less harmful training bullets, of course). "So did I. But when her dad retired, she was the first to lay claim to it." She swung at Pyrrha. "I guess she didn't think her brother was ready, or that he was too much in her dad's pocket to actually improve the company."

Pyrrha did a dodge roll and threw her javelin. "I suppose that makes sense." When her throw didn't hit, she used her magnetism to bring Miló back to her hand. "She has said that she doesn't want her father to be the end of the Schnee name."

"Yeah, but we all figured she'd just take over the company and run things from the apartment while having Whitley do most of the stuff at the mansion." Ruby jumped back, panting. "Instead, she kept leaving more and more often. She's been doing good work. Faunus working conditions have improved and she's cut ties with a lot of the company's shadier business partners."

"But, you're worried that she's sacrificing what she really wants," Pyrrha guessed, lowering her weapon.

"Exactly!" Ruby said. "I mean, she's had to deal with the stigma of being a Schnee her whole life. It shouldn't be all her responsibility to fix what her father did. Since things are getting better, she should be able to come home more." She sighed. "But, I don't know. Maybe she feels guilty and like she has to keep working there. Maybe she likes it more than she thought she would. I just wish she'd tell us what's going on, so we can help her or start figuring out other ways to hunt together."

"Does she still go on missions?"

"Yeah, and that's the only time I see her anymore. She'll show up at the airship station minutes before it's supposed to leave. She barely talks when we're camping, and she leaves as soon as we get back to Vale." Ruby leaned against Crescent Rose, letting out a sigh. "It's even worse than when we first started out at Beacon. I mean, we fought a lot, but at least she acknowledged our existence. Now, it's like she's a total stranger."

"I'm sure she'd listen to you if you voiced your concerns," Pyrrha said. "She's your best friend, right?"

Ruby shook her head. "She is…but I'm not sure if I'm _her_ best friend anymore." Her shoulders slumped as she said these words. She felt her eyes welling up, and hurriedly wiped at them. "S-Sorry," she muttered.

Pyrrha walked over and pulled Ruby into a hug. She rubbed her friend's shaking shoulders, feeling a surge of protectiveness as she held her close. "It'll be okay, Ruby. I'm sure of it."

Ruby sniffled as she returned Pyrrha's strong embrace. "Thanks, Pyrrha." She closed her eyes, leaning into Pyrrha's warm, muscular form, taking comfort in how firm and safe this moment felt. It suddenly became easy to believe her friend's assertion that everything would get better.

Pyrrha let Ruby have the shower first, and sat down in one of the armchairs while she waited. She still felt warm from her hug with Ruby, and her desire to protect the younger Huntress and take away any pain she was feeling was even stronger than before. Now, more than ever, she knew that her feelings for Ruby went deeper than friendship, and had the potential to grow every bit as intense as her feelings for Jaune, Ren, and Nora.

The question now was what would be done about this. Did Pyrrha pursue something further? She knew that her teammates wouldn't mind. In Jaune's case, he might even take similar action. Was she misreading Ruby's natural closeness to them? Was this simply due to a wish on Ruby's part for physical contact rather than returned feelings? She thought back to that morning, and how perfect it had felt waking up with both Ruby and Jaune nearby. She couldn't have been the only one to feel that way, right?

Her thoughts were interrupted as Jaune walked into the room. He tilted his head when he noticed her ponderous expression. "What's up?"

Pyrrha beckoned to the other armchair. Once Jaune was seated, she asked: "Jaune, remember when I asked you about your feelings for Ruby?"

Jaune looked steadily at her. "Yeah."

"Have those feelings changed at all?"

Jaune leaned back in the chair, nodding slowly. "Yeah. I'd say they've gotten deeper over time." He looked at Pyrrha. "And I have a feeling that it's been the same for you."

Pyrrha felt her muscles relax and a relieved smile come to her face. "You were always good at reading me." She looked toward the closed bathroom door, making sure she could still hear the shower going. "What should we do?"

"Let it happen," said a new voice. Ren was standing in the doorway leading to the kitchen, calmly watching both of them. "I think it can be safely said that we all love Ruby to some extent."

Nora stepped out of the kitchen, holding a chocolate-coated spoon in one hand. "Yeah, I mean, I wouldn't mind if she decided to stay permanently. I've always liked her the best out of Team RWBY's members."

"I think we should let her make the first move," Jaune decided. "If she feels anything romantic toward any of us, she'll let us know. We've made it clear that she can talk to us about anything, right?" The others nodded. "And she obviously knows we're open to multiple relationships, however things end up. So, let's just leave it to her. We'll be there for her and talk to her and, hopefully, help her get back with her team. Then, we'll see what happens."

Pyrrha smiled at the others. It was nice to know that they all felt the same way she did. "I think that's the best idea. Thank you."

The sound of the shower stopped. Ren and Nora went back into the kitchen while Jaune got up and walked outside, leaving Pyrrha alone in the living room once again.

Ruby stepped out a minute later, pajamas on, rubbing her hair dry with a towel. "Sorry I took so long. You guys have a much better shower than the one we have at the apartment."

Pyrrha chuckled. "Believe it or not, Jaune's showers are much longer."

"Actually, I can believe that," Ruby replied, snickering a little. "Anyway, it's all yours. I think I'll take a quick nap." She hugged Pyrrha as she walked by, then hopped onto the couch, closing her eyes.

Pyrrha watched her for a moment, then went to take her shower. _Jaune's right,_ she thought. _Things will happen in their own time, if they're meant to happen._ Either way, she knew that she and the others would be there to help Ruby through these next few days, no matter what.

 **I seriously can't get enough of this domestic fluff. It's freaking wonderful! I'll see you with the next update later this week. I still have two open commission slots. PM me if you're interested.**

 **My P/atreon is Solora Goldsun. Become a patron if you want early updates, drabble and story requests, and early knowledge of when I'm open for commissions.**

 **Peace out!**


	4. Cooking with Ren

**Yo, yo everybody! Here's the latest update on this lovely little commission. I feel bad that I've been a bit slower this week, but between work and the holidays, it hasn't been easy to get as much writing done. I'm going to start grinding more though, so stay tuned for a quicker update for chapter 5. In the meantime, enjoy!**

A few days after Ruby's sparring session with Pyrrha, she peeked into the kitchen during the afternoon to see Ren already working on dinner. "Hey, Ren. Need some help?"

Ren glanced up and nodded. "Sure. You can mix the ricotta cheese with the chopped spinach over there."

Ruby walked over to the mixing bowl while trying to peek at what Ren was doing at the stove. "Whatcha making?"

"Lasagna." Ren was stirring a bubbling pot of meat sauce. "Adding spinach to the filling gives it a bit more substance. And it gets Nora to eat her greens."

"Ooh. Sounds tasty." Ruby put the chopped spinach into the bowl. "So, do I just dump it all in?"

"Yes. Use all the ricotta too."

"Okay." Ruby added the soft cheese, making sure to scrape the edges of the container. "Do you cook all of the meals every day?" she wondered. "Or, is this special since I'm a guest?" Her question was slightly tinged with worry. She didn't want anyone on Team JNPR going to too much trouble on her account, especially since she was already staying in their house.

"Unless we have a mission or decide to eat out, I do breakfast and dinner. Lunch is basically whatever's in the fridge," Ren replied. "I enjoy doing it."

"Have you ever thought about cooking or baking professionally?"

"Yes," Ren admitted. "I love being a Huntsman, but culinary school was always my fallback option. Maybe I'll open a restaurant or small bakery when I retire from fighting Grimm." He took the meat sauce off the stove and filled another pot with water.

"I'd definitely go there," Ruby said. "I've been eating so much cruddy takeout lately, since my kitchen skills are mostly limited to cookies and cakes. A few more nice places to eat in Vale would be great."

"Blake did most of the cooking at your apartment, right?" Ren turned the stove to high. "You mentioned that she's been getting more involved in Faunus Civil Rights. Is she part of a particular group?"

"No. I think she's avoiding joining anything specific after what happened with the White Fang." Ruby finished stirring the cheese mixture and placed the bowl on the counter near Ren. "She goes to a lot of protests, though. Her influence as a Huntress has helped move things along."

"That's good to hear." Ren put some lasagna noodles into the pot as it started bubbling.

"It really is," Ruby agreed. "I tried helping out at the protests, but…eh…" She shrugged. "Too many people. I've been writing letters to our representatives, though. And I helped Velvet make some flyers for an anti-bullying event a little while ago. It's really not much, but I want to help somehow."

"Protests aren't everything," Ren told her. "Things change through the efforts of different people, and that includes letter-writers and those who help in a quieter manner."

"I guess so," Ruby muttered. "At least my method doesn't end with me collapsing on the couch after going days without sleep."

Ren frowned. "Blake's been neglecting herself, then?"

"Yeah. She barely sleeps or eats enough on a regular basis. She makes herself rest before a hunt, but that's it." Ruby leaned against the counter. "I understand that equal rights for Faunus are super important, but I don't think Blake would help anyone by collapsing at a protest or getting mowed down if someone starts a riot."

"I agree." Ren stirred the noodles before turning to Ruby. "Have you talked with her about this?"

"I've tried, but Yang was always better at getting through to her, and she's been gone almost as much as Blake has." Ruby shook her head. "I don't know if Blake's feeling abandoned, and is throwing herself into too many events because of that, or if it's guilt for her previous association with the White Fang. If it's the first thing, she could've come to me. And if it's the second thing…well…she can talk to me about that too."

"Hm." Ren tapped his chin thoughtfully. "Blake has always been the type to keep things bottled up unless people really pry. You've never been the prying type. What about Sun? He and Blake are pretty close. Could he talk to her?"

"There's not much he can do all the way in Mistral. I've already called him." Ruby looked up at Ren. "Do you think…I haven't been there for her enough? Could that be part of it?"

"Ruby, from what I've heard, you've done everything in your power to be there for your team. I think you should just wait for them to realize that they've drifted and come back to you." Ren ruffled her hair gently. "And they will. You've been friends for too long for anything else to happen."

Ruby smiled, leaning into Ren's side as he wrapped a comforting arm around her. "I wish we could be more like you guys. You're like the perfect team."

Ren chuckled. "I don't think every team can be romantically involved in the same way JNPR is. Besides, wouldn't it be strange sharing two girlfriends with your sister?"

Ruby elbowed him, rolling her eyes. "You know what I mean."

"Yes, I do." Ren flashed a rare grin, glad to see Ruby's spirits lifting a little. He walked back over to the stove, checking the noodles before taking some meat sauce and spreading it on the bottom of a large square pan. He then took the noodles out one by one and laid them on top. "Could you hand me the ricotta?"

Ruby picked up the bowl, noticing some freshly-sliced mozzarella next to the pan. "You're going all out with the cheese, huh?"

"Well, none of us are exactly on a diet. Might as well go the extra mile." Ren spread the ricotta over the noodles, then put slabs of sliced mozzarella on top, followed by more meat sauce and another layer of noodles. After repeating the process twice, he put the last of the mozzarella on top and opened the oven. "Should be ready just in time for dinner," he muttered.

"I can help with the dishes," Ruby offered.

"That would be nice. Thank you." The two moved over to the sink. "Out of curiosity, have you ever considered a relationship with anyone on your team?" Ren asked, keeping his tone casual.

"Eh…" Ruby shrugged. "I mean, kinda. Maybe. For Blake and Weiss only, obviously. I think being close friends with someone usually leads to having a crush on them, at least at some point. I don't know." She glanced to the side, her face flushing a little.

Ren pretended not to notice as he turned the faucet on and started washing. Ruby stood near the sink with a towel, drying each dish and pan as he passed it to her. "I was thinking," Ren said as they finished the last dish. "What if I wrote down some of my easier recipes for when you go back home? I hate the thought of you living on fast food when you go back to Vale."

Ruby's eyes lit up. "Really? That would be awesome!"

Ren led the way toward the living room, his heart warming at Ruby's excited response. It was amazing how, even as an adult, she still retained that childlike happiness when confronted with the simplest of things. She and Nora were very similar in that respect.

 _Perhaps, that is why I started developing an interest in her,_ Ren thought as he remembered their senior year, when he had been partnered with Ruby for a series of exercises in interacting with other teams. They had gotten closer during those few days, and had continued hanging out since then. _I have always been a magnet for more excitable people._

The bright optimism that surrounded Jaune, Nora, and Ruby seemed to perfectly meld with his calmer take on the world. Pyrrha was an exception, because she was more similar to Ren in personality. Their dynamic was much quieter and gentler, but it was still wonderful.

Ren thought back to the conversation the rest of the team had had a few days ago. _Honestly, Ruby would fit right into our relationship, if she wanted to._

The two sat down on the sofa, and Ren started writing out some recipes, explaining them as he did so. He decided on his spaghetti, beef stew, and pancake recipes to start out, since they were flexible and could be reheated at a later time.

"With the spaghetti, you just need to put a bit of extra water in when you microwave it, so the noodles don't dry out." He added a note to the recipe. "And you can feel free to cut corners for time purposes when making the sauce, but fresh-grated parmesan must always be used. That powdered stuff isn't even real cheese."

"Gotcha," Ruby replied, making a mental note to throw out the jar of powdered parmesan that she had in her cupboard at home. Ren would probably disown her if he ever saw it.

"Really, cooking isn't that difficult," Ren continued. "The main problem is that most people don't want to put forth the effort required, or are too intimidated to try."

"Or, they got you to cook for them instead," Ruby teased.

Ren chuckled. "Or that." He handed her the papers. "That'll be a good start. If you want, I can type up and email some more recipes to your Scroll." 

"Thanks, Ren!" Ruby scooted over, hugging him tightly. "You guys have really been awesome these past few days. What did I do to deserve such great friends?"

Ren returned the hug, resting his cheek on top of her head. "Well, the fact that you're one of the best friends we could have ever asked for doesn't hurt," he murmured.

"Aw, now you're gonna make me blush!" Ruby laughed, though she could feel her cheeks warming up for real.

 _This is similar to how Nora tends to flirt. Should I…?_ "Hm. I don't see a downside," he said, keeping his voice light.

Ruby's face darkened further and she hid against Ren's chest, though she couldn't help but smile. When Ren didn't let go of her, she figured she was doing something right. For the first time, she felt brave enough to probe a subject that had been on her mind for a long time. "Hey, Ren?"

"Yes?"

"Um… Can I ask you a totally hypothetical question?

"A hypothetical question?"

"Yep. Completely hypothetical."

Ren nodded. "Okay. What is it?"

"What's the…limit when it comes to poly relationships?" Ruby asked, already kicking herself for how stupid she probably sounded. _Too late to turn back now…_

"There isn't one," Ren replied promptly. "It all depends on the people involved. We did a lot of research when we were first starting out. Some relationships are mutually exclusive, some involve people who have other relationships that the other people aren't involved with, and some gain more people even after several years." Again, he kept his voice completely neutral, so Ruby could draw her own conclusions without feeling pressured.

Ruby felt her heart thump extra hard against her chest when Ren mentioned that last option. _Is he just giving examples, or was that on purpose?_ "H-How would an established poly relationship gain a new person? Hypothetically, of course."

Ren smiled. "Hypothetically, the people involved would communicate with the new person and each other. Or, the new person would bring up the possibility first. Either way is fine. Then, they'd navigate things slowly, just as any people in a new relationship would."

Ruby nodded slowly. "How…would a new person hypothetically bring that up?"

"In whatever way that makes her feel most comfortable," Ren said. He rubbed Ruby's shoulder gently. There as a pause, during which he could tell that Ruby was thinking very hard about something. "Ruby, you know you can talk to any of us about anything, right?"

"I… I know." Ruby moved away from Ren, hesitantly looking up at him. "The truth is…I've been…envying the relationship you guys have for a long time. It just seemed like such a good romance, friendship, team dynamic… I don't know when I started wanting to be a _part_ of it, but being here these past few days…well…" She glanced away, groaning under her breath. "Great. Now I'm rambling."

"Ruby." Ren placed a hand on her arm, watching her steadily, though he could feel a familiar lightness in his chest as he looked at her. It was similar to how he had felt when he realized that Nora loved him. It was like that moment it had first clicked that he could be in a relationship with Jaune and Pyrrha as well. "You're not the only one who's been thinking about this."

"I…huh?" Ruby blinked up at him, eyes wide. "Seriously?"

"Yes. We've all discussed it." He smiled gently at her. "You've always been a good friend, and we enjoy having you around. Honestly, you joining our relationship wouldn't be that big of a leap, all things considered."

For a few seconds, Ruby just gaped at Ren. Was this seriously happening? Was it really this easy? "I…uh…um…"

Jaune or Nora would have made a joke at this point. Ren just waited patiently for his friend to remember how to speak.

Ruby finally shook herself. "You really mean it?" When Ren nodded, she couldn't help but squeal with excitement, throwing her arms around his shoulders and hugging him again. "This is awesome!"

Ren made a loud "Oof!" noise when Ruby tackled him, but he recovered quickly. He gladly returned her hug. "The others will be happy to hear this."

Ruby nodded, snuggling against Ren's chest. "Thanks, Ren."

Ren moved down enough to touch his lips to Ruby's forehead. "Anytime, Ruby."

At that moment, a loud "EEEEEEEEE!" sounded from the doorway, causing the two to nearly fall off the couch. Jaune, Pyrrha, and Nora were just walking in. Nora's eyes were wide and sparkly as she took in the scene in front of her. "OMIGOSH! Wait, does this mean she likes just Ren, or all of us? Which one is it?"

"All of-" Ren started.

"EEEEEEEEEE!" Nora bounded over, tightly glomping Ruby. "This is so awesome! I knew it was gonna happen! Who gets dibs on kissing her first? Or did Ren cheat?"

"Nora?"

"Yeah, Pyrrha?"

Pyrrha walked over, smiling patiently at her small girlfriend. "You should probably let poor Ren breathe."

Nora blinked, looking down. When she tackled Ruby, she had also pushed Ren into the cushions. He was now lying on his back, both girls on top of him, giving them his signature deadpan glare. "Oops. Sorry, Ren." She quickly slid off the couch and kneeled on the floor.

"Yeah, sorry!" Ruby scooted back so Ren could sit up again, still recovering from Nora's sudden attack. She glanced at each of the members of Team JNPR, feeling herself starting to blush again. "So, uh, what now?"

Pyrrha leaned down to peck Ruby's cheek. "Now, we see what happens next together."

Jaune was grinning brightly. "Ooh, we should modify the team name. Since Ruby's with us now…how about… Juniper Rose!" The others stared silently at him. "What?"

"Jaune, that sounds like the name of a romance novel character," Ren said flatly.

"What? It does not!"

"Eh, it kinda does," Ruby said, nodding her head.

"Yep," Nora added.

Jaune pouted, folding his arms. "Whatever. My team name ideas are unappreciated in their time."

"Okay, honey." Pyrrha kissed him softly. "We believe you."

At that moment, the timer in the kitchen beeped, causing Nora to jump to her feet. "Ooh! Dinner!" She bolted toward the kitchen.

Ren got off the couch, quickly following her. "There's melted cheese on that, Nora! Wait for it to cool first!"

Ruby giggled as she watched them, getting up to follow. She paused by Jaune and Pyrrha, and moved in to hug both of them. She smiled when their large forms pressed her close and their strong arms easily enfolded her. "I still can't believe this is happening," she sighed happily.

"Yeah, and you still have a week before your next assignment," Jaune reminded her. "This is gonna be great!"

There was a yelp in the kitchen, followed by Ren saying. "Nora, the ice water is in the fridge. The fridge!"

Ruby snuggled against her friends, smiling contentedly. "It sure is."

 **Aaaand, we got a relationship start! I decided that it made more sense to have something start earlier, rather than making all the romance happen in the final two chapters. Since, in this setting, the poly JNPR relationship is super open and comfortable, and Ruby is also super comfortable with them, I figured it would be more of a natural process rather than a sudden revelation.**

 **I still have two commission slots open. Feel free to PM me for details! For early updates, as well as other rewards, please consider pledging to my P/atreon, which is Solora Goldsun.**

 **Peace out!**


	5. Running with Nora

**Greetings, my homies! We're back with more of the current favorite OT5 of my page: Juniper Rose. Enjoy!**

Ruby woke up to a face full of ginger hair and a warm weight pressed against her. She blinked, trying to figure out what was going on. Then, she remembered that Nora had decided to sleep with her that night.

The previous evening had been spent further discussing the future of Ruby's relationship with Team JNPR. Everyone was okay with adjusting slowly. No first kisses were claimed, and Ruby decided that she would rather sleep with one of them at a time at first before joining the giant bed. Nora had immediately volunteered to cuddle with her on the couch during the first night.

Ruby hugged Nora close, giggling a little when this caused her new girlfriend to squirm and mutter something about pancakes in her sleep. _I can't believe this is happening!_ she thought. Sighing happily, she closed her eyes and rested her head against the pillow, knowing that it was only a matter of time before Nora woke her up.

Sure enough, a few minutes later, Nora awoke with a yawn. She stretched luxuriously, then started kissing Ruby's cheeks. "Ruby! Ruby! Wake up!"

Ruby laughed as Nora's lips tickled her face. "I'm awake, I'm awake!"

Nora grinned brightly. "Hi!"

"Hi," Ruby replied, her heart warming at how happy Nora looked due to simply waking up next to her. "Did you sleep okay?"

"Yep," Nora chirped, wrapping her arms around Ruby's middle and resting her chin on top of her head. "It's nice cuddling with someone who's the same size as me."

Ruby gladly returned the hug and rested her cheek against Nora's chest, listening to her strong heartbeat. "So, do you always dream about pancakes?"

"Only when I'm not dreaming about sloths!" Nora replied. "Hey, do you wanna go for a run with me this morning? I like to exercise before breakfast whenever I'm up early. I _suppose_ we could let Ren sleep in too."

"So, you're not going to run into the room, wake him up, and then run back out?"

Nora giggled. "I've actually done that before, but no. I'll be nice this time." She pecked the top of Ruby's head before sitting up. "Sooo, how're you feeling?" She continued to smile excitedly, bouncing up and down where she sat. "It's pretty awesome, huh?"

Ruby nodded. "It really is! I mean, being here these past few days has been amazing, but now…" She leaned back against the couch. "I almost don't want to go back."

Nora watched her carefully, her expression sobering a little. "You could stay, if you wanted," she said, though she honestly hated the thought of Ruby's new relationship with them causing her team to suffer further.

"I said 'almost,'" Ruby sighed. "I know you guys are right, that this thing with my team is just a fluke. Being here and talking with you all has given me a clearer idea on what to do, and how to talk to them. I'm not giving up on bringing Team RWBY back together."

Nora brightened. "Well, that's why you're team leader, isn't it? You think they'll flip when you tell them about us?"

"Probably, but in a good way. Yang especially, I mean, if she's even in Vale when I get back…" Ruby shook herself. "Sorry, I'm being a downer."

"Hey, I'm good for venting," Nora said, standing up. "Let's change into some exercise clothes first, though. I talk better while moving."

A few minutes later, they were jogging in the woods, the cool air and moistness of lingering dew banishing any traces of sleepiness. They went down one of Nora's favorite paths, which led deeper into the trees.

"So," Nora said, keeping her breaths deep so she could run and talk at the same time. "What were you saying about Yang?"

Ruby panted a little as she tried to get a good rhythm. Though she obviously kept in shape, jogging wasn't a usual pastime for her. "She's just been more wild than usual lately," she explained. "It started after Blake started spending more and more time at those protests and I started hiding from the mobs of fans. Yang actually loved the attention, and would go to a bunch of public appearances and dance clubs. She was the life of the party."

"That sure sounds like her!" Nora commented.

"Yeah, but she started to get…rowdier," Ruby said, thinking back. "First, it was just one bar fight over the course of a month. Then, she'd go to more and more dangerous places in her spare time. At one point, she walked right down an alley in an area that's full of White Fang sympathizers. I guess she got bored."

Nora frowned. "Couldn't she just take extra missions?"

"I don't think fighting Grimm even brings the same thrill anymore," Ruby muttered. "When we're on hunts, she doesn't even seem to be all there. She'll go to these crazy parties and drink herself into a stupor before fighting the nearest bonehead she can find. When she has the extra Lien, she snowboards or parachutes in unsafe, Grimm-infested areas, and does a bunch of other stuff just to get an adrenaline high."

"You said she's been drinking a lot when going out." Nora's brows furrowed with concern. "She's not getting…dependent on it, is she?"

Ruby shook her head. "No, it's not that. She's addicted to the excitement and uncertainty. That's why she does it. Though, if she's not careful, alcohol might be next." She sighed. "Being careful isn't exactly her thing right now."

Noticing how concerned Nora looked, she added: "She's not totally gone! I know that, if I ever needed her, she'd drop everything and come running. She's always sober for hunts as well, which is more than I can say for some members of my family." She thought of Uncle Qrow and chuckled a little to herself. _If I could get in contact with him, maybe he could talk to her._

Nora thought for a moment, then said: "You know what I think? I think everyone on Team RWBY is feeling lonely and lost right now, and just doesn't know how to say so."

Ruby blinked. "You think so?"

"Definitely!" Nora nodded. "I mean, first Weiss went into business for her company because she thought she had to. Then, Blake started working extra-hard for Civil Rights because she felt she had to do that. Then, you and Yang split off because you were so used to the team being all together, you didn't remember how to communicate how you felt when you started feeling isolated. So, she started doing her own thing to distract herself. Even you are kinda guilty of that, with how you've been hiding in your apartment most of the time."

Ruby stared openmouthed at Nora, who laughed. "Trust me. Ren and I grew up dealing with being alone. We know what it's like, and how people can get. You drift away from people, but don't say anything since you don't want to annoy them and make them drift more. So, you just fall into whatever is comfortable and doesn't require you to think too much about how what's happening."

"Did you and Ren ever go through that with each other?" Ruby asked. The idea seemed almost ludicrous. If anyone had a perfect relationship throughout the course of their lives, it was Ren and Nora. Still, Nora seemed to be speaking from personal experience.

"Actually, we did. It was while we were still kids and trying to get into Beacon. We were training a lot, started wondering whether we'd even stay together once we got to Beacon, and we started to grow distant." Nora smiled. "But, we talked about it before it got too bad, and look at us now!"

They reached the end of the trail and did a few stretches before turning around and jogging back. Ruby noticed the black squirrel from a few days ago, and waved at it. The tiny creature chattered and fluffed its tail. By the time they got back to the house, Ren had the pancakes started. Nora zipped to the table instantly.

The rest of the morning was taken up with chores. Ren and Pyrrha liked to keep the house relatively clean, and insisted on doing a full once-over every week. Ruby volunteered to vacuum, and was quickly zooming over the carpets. Ren wiped down all hard surfaces in the kitchen and bathrooms, and mopped the floors. Pyrrha dusted the furniture while Jaune took out the trash and weeded the garden. Nora begrudgingly put all of her and Pyrrha's exercise equipment in its proper places and polished what needed polishing. "It's gonna get messed up again anyway," she grumbled.

They collapsed on the couch and armchairs once they were done. Ruby snuggled into Pyrrha's side, smiling when the taller girl immediately wrapped an arm around her. Nora curled up on Ren's lap and reached over to boop Ruby's nose.

Jaune watched them with a smile before speaking up. "So, since we don't want to mess up the cleaning we just did, and since we definitely have a reason to celebrate today, why don't we head out? I know a spot in Vale that has a nice coffee house, and an arcade across the street."

Ren coughed. "Uh, it's not the arcade Nora got us kicked out of, is it?"

Ruby sat up. "Wait, what?"

"No, it's not the same one," Jaune replied. "And Ruby, just don't ask. Trust me. It wasn't pretty." He shuddered a little as he thought back.

Nora stuck out her tongue. "It wasn't that bad. They never wrote any rules against using your Semblance on the machines."

"You struck the arcade machines with lightning?!" Ruby gasped.

"No! I channeled electricity to make the games easier."

"She blasted a hole in the ceiling."

"You're really blowing this out of proportion."

Ren rolled his eyes. "You're not using your Semblance this time."

Nora huffed, folding her arms. "Oh, fine."

Ruby giggled as she watched the exchange. "I wouldn't mind going out. I think I'll leave my cloak here, though. I really don't wanna get mobbed today."

"Don't worry," Jaune said. "We can be your celebrity bodyguards!" His eyes widened. "Ooh! Ren, what if we got matching tuxes and shades and-"

"No, Jaune."

"Aw, come on!"

Nora grinned. "I'm in!"

"I think that would make us stand out more," Pyrrha reasoned. "Why don't we make that a potential costume idea for Grimm Night?"

Jaune sighed. "Okay."

After changing into clean clothes and carefully folding up Ruby's cloak, the group went to the airship station. Jaune popped a nausea pill before getting on. When they sat down, Ruby snuggled against his side, prompting him to wrap an arm around her shoulders. She smiled, closing her eyes contentedly. Her smile widened when Nora nestled happily against her other side.

When they got to town, Jaune led them to the arcade. Ren kept a firm hand on Nora's shoulder as they approached. "Remember, no lightning. No shaking the claw machines. No punching the pinball machine. No-"

"Ugh, okay _Dad_ ," Nora groaned.

Ruby hung back with them. "So, is she allowed to punch the non-pinball machines?"

Ren's eyes flashed. "No, and don't give her any more ideas!"

"He's so uptight, isn't he?" Nora asked, poking Ren's cheek playfully.

Ruby laughed and stood on her toes to kiss Ren's other cheek. "Don't worry. I'll keep an eye on her."

Ren's expression softened a little. "Thanks."

When they walked in, they saw that Pyrrha had already found her way to the pinball machine and was rapidly scoring. Jaune approached, giving her a skeptical look. "The no-Semblance thing applies to all of us, I hope you know."

Pyrrha's face was the picture of innocence. "I haven't the faintest idea what you're talking about."

Nora grabbed Ruby's arm. "Ooh! A strength test!" She pulled her over to the machine, which had an old, painted figure with his arm held out.

"Arm wrestling?" Ruby folded her arms, taking a step back. "I'll let you take this one."

Nora put a coin in and grabbed the hand. Within seconds, she forced it down, prompting a line of tickets to be vomited from the machine's slots. She grabbed them immediately, as if worried that they'd be sucked back in. "Ooh! Let's look at the prizes! I wanna see if it's worth it to collect tickets."

Ruby allowed herself to be dragged to the counter, mentally calculating what the condition of her arm sockets would be after a month of being in this relationship. It wasn't looking too good.

Due to the size of the arcade, most of the prizes were smaller, generic things that could easily be bought at a discount store. The only truly promising items were the big-ticket ones on the top shelf. There were some Dust-powered windup toys that shot sparks or spurts of water, robotic animals that were meant to be connected to a person's Scroll, so that they moved in time to any music played, and one giant, fluffy, gray and white corgi plushie.

Ruby's eyes were immediately drawn to it, but the price made her gasp. "Ten thousand tickets?! Yeesh…"

Nora sighed. "Well, those robot things are kinda cool." She smiled at Ruby. "Let's look at the claw machines!"

It turned out that Ren was already at the claw machines, and was hard at work trying to pick up a brown plush sloth. He was grumbling to himself as the girls approached. "The claw literally had it… Stupid rip-off machine…"

"Having trouble, Ren?" Nora asked, patting his shoulder.

"I swear, the claw picked up this thing, then opened slightly to drop it again!" Ren growled as the plushie slipped from the claw again. "Okay, I'm walking away before I waste all my money."

"Ooh, let me try!" Ruby put a coin in and started maneuvering the lever. "Could one of you look in through the side?"

Ren peered in. "Go a little up…right! No, go to the right, I mean." He squinted, then nodded. "That might work."

Ruby pushed the button and watched the claw descend. She squeaked excitedly when the sloth was lifted. Then, when the claw moved toward the drop area, the plush fell right back out again. "What?! I had it!"

"I can shake it!" Nora said hopefully.

"No, Nora."

Ruby sighed. "Oh well. These things are made to be rip-offs anyway."

"Ren, look! It's one of those dance games with the arrows. You love those!" Nora tugged on Ren's arm.

Ren looked over, his exasperation at the claw machine immediately fading. "That's more like it," he said with a smile, immediately walking over.

Nora winked at Ruby. "And now, we get a free show!"

They watched as Ren put some coins in and selected the hardest setting the machine had. The arrows flashed by too quickly for even Ruby to follow, but Ren somehow managed to keep up. His feet moved a mile a minute. Occasionally, he would do a backward bend and hit an arrow with his hands before jumping to his feet in time to hit the next one.

By the time he was done, Pyrrha and Jaune had also made their way over and were nodding appreciatively. Pyrrha had an armful of tickets from pinball.

Ruby sought out a Grimm shooter machine and spent the next fifteen minutes blasting pixilated Grimm and easily achieving the high score. Tickets shot out of the machine as she finished. She took them out and pocketed them, knowing she probably wouldn't be using them.

When she got to the front desk, she saw the others talking while pointing at the top shelf. As she approached, they placed a surprisingly huge amount of tickets in front of the tired-looking clerk, who started counting them. Nora grinned when she saw Ruby.

"Perfect timing!"

Ruby smiled. "Ah, you're pooling your tickets. Smart." She pulled hers out and handed them over. "You can use mine too. What are you getting?"

Nora's grin widened as she nodded at the clerk, who was taking down the giant plush corgi. "A present for our new girlfriend!"

Ruby's eyes widened and a bright smile spread across her face as the clerk handed her the plush dog, which was almost as big as she was. "Omigosh! Guys, I love it! Thank you, thank you, thank you!" She hugged the corgi to her chest, squealing happily.

The others watched her with similar smiles, silently noting that this was probably the happiest they've seen Ruby throughout their visit. At this point, that was saying something.

When they got back to the house, Ruby cleared most of the pillows from the sofa, so she could cuddle with her giant plushie that night. After dinner, she curled up on the couch with it. Pyrrha came over, smiling gently down at her. "Mind if I join you?"

Ruby gladly rolled over to make room, yawning as Pyrrha's warm arms wrapped around her. Jaune, Ren, and Nora all walked by, sharing a kiss with Pyrrha and planting smaller kisses on Ruby's face before heading to their room. Between the softness of her new plush toy, and the now-familiar warmth of Pyrrha's embrace, Ruby fell asleep almost instantly.

 **Commissions are still open, people! I have two slots just waiting for you. PM me for details. You know you want me to write some loveliness for you. I can tell.**

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	6. Nightmares and Cuddles

**Hello, my lovelies! We are back with some more poly fluff. Did you want more poly fluff? Of course you did. Everyone wants more poly fluff. Enjoy!**

 _The sky was the most awful shade of red imaginable. It was like a combination of corroding rust, fresh blood, and the cruel burn of a forest fire. Streaks of blackness smeared the clouds, making everything darker and uglier. The roars of thousands of Grimm echoed off of the cracked walls of Beacon, off of the shattered trees, and throughout the inside of Ruby's skull._

 _She was running desperately toward Beacon. Weiss was with her. She didn't know why they were running, but she knew that she had to get to the top of the tower as quickly as possible._

 _Weiss created a line of glyphs leading up the building and Ruby ran as fast as she could. She saw fire, darkness, and a Grimm that had the face of a dragon. There was a whir of an arrow, and she could see Pyrrha's bright green eyes growing dim as the life left them._

 _A flash of silver surrounded her, and several images appeared at once. Jaune collapsed in a pile of rubble. Ren and Nora being thrown to the ground by an Atlas machine. Weiss on her knees, panting with exhaustion. Yang curled up on the ground, holding a stump of a right arm. Blake being stabbed by a masked man. Penny in pieces, scattered across an empty arena._

 _Ruby screamed._

Then, she was surrounded by warmth. A familiar voice was talking to her. "Ruby? Ruby? Hey, wake up!"

Ruby jolted awake, eyes opening to see Jaune's concerned, blue gaze fixed on her. She sniffed, realizing that her cheeks were wet. "S-Sorry, Jaune," she murmured.

Jaune hugged her, wiping her cheeks with his thumb. "Don't worry about it. Bad dream?"

Ruby nodded against him, trembling as the images continued to linger in her mind. "I've had it before. It's always so real…"

"What's it about?"

"Well, we're students at Beacon again. And…something is attacking it. I see Grimm, White Fang people, and a bunch of others. I don't know the details, but Beacon is destroyed, and I keep seeing people getting killed or hurt." She shook her head, not wanting to bring up any of the specific images. "It's horrible."

Jaune rubbed her back slowly. "That does sound pretty bad." He slowly sat up, pulling Ruby close with one arm. "Want to stay up for a bit?"

"Y-Yeah," Ruby sniffed. "I don't really wanna go back to sleep."

"Want some cocoa?"

Ruby pondered for a moment, then snuggled against Jaune's side. "In a minute." She wrapped her arms around his middle and nuzzled his shoulder.

Jaune was quick to pull her into his lap and rest his head on top of hers. Grabbing one of the blankets, he put it over her so that she was completely covered, except for the top of her head. "How's that?"

Ruby hummed appreciatively. Snuggling with Jaune, she found, was especially warm due to the fleece onesie that he still wore. Between that and the blanket, she could already feel her panic from the dream starting to fade. Lightly, she brushed her lips against his throat. She smiled when he responded with a soft kiss to the top of her head.

Jaune rubbed Ruby's back, moving his hands in slow, soothing circles while nuzzling kisses into her hair. Once he felt her tense muscles relax, he leaned down to kiss her cheek. When she smiled up at him, he grinned back and stood, holding her against his chest, blanket and all. Without a word, he went into the kitchen and set her down in one of the chairs, wrapping the blanket snugly around her shoulders before taking some chocolate out of the cupboard.

While he busied himself with preparing a pot of hot cocoa, Ruby watched him, her silver eyes full of warmth as she thought once again about how lucky she was. It wasn't just Jaune's gentle consideration she was grateful for, though. It was the knowledge that things would have played out similarly if she had been sleeping with any of the others. Nora would have taken longer to wake up, and Ren probably wouldn't have gone so far as to carry her, but the comfort and warmth would have been the same.

Even though she had only had the title of their newest girlfriend for a few days, it easily felt as if she had been in this role for far longer. The way Team JNPR cared for her and each other was so natural and effortless.

She thought back to the nights she had spent alone in the apartment, when there had been no one to comfort her during the times that recurring dream reared its ugly head. Of course, if Yang was around, she'd comfort Ruby, humming softly until she fell back asleep. Weiss would sit by the bed with one cool, soft hand on her shoulder. Blake would curl up near her, purring quietly.

If they were around, that's what they would do. _If_ they were there.

Ruby stirred from her thoughts as Jaune approached with two steaming mugs. He placed one in front of her and scooted his chair over so that he was right next to her. She saw that he had placed several marshmallows and an extra chocolate bar in hers. The two sipped in silence for a few minutes, no words needing to be spoken. When she was halfway done with her mug, Ruby looked up at Jaune.

"Hey, Jaune?" When he turned toward her, she stood up slightly, so that she could lightly touch her lips to his. The kiss was quick, warm, and tasted of melted chocolate and marshmallows. She sat down again with a smile. "Thanks."

Jaune's face flushed and his heart pounded. He knew without a doubt that that had been Ruby's first kiss. "Don't mention it," he murmured, ruffling her hair affectionately.

They finished their drinks and returned to the couch, where they promptly fell back asleep. No nightmares plagued either of them.

The following morning began with Nora bouncing up and down on the couch. "Hey! Hey! No sleeping in! Wake up!"

"Hn…" Ruby hid her head under the corgi plush.

Jaune wrapped his arms around Nora, pinning her against his chest. "There. Now, you're trapped."

Nora squealed and giggled, wriggling against Jaune as she fake-struggled. "Ren! He's got me! Help!"

Ren, still rubbing sleep from his eyes, smiled. "It seems like you had that coming." He knelt next to the couch and rubbed Ruby's shoulder. "Good morning."

"It's not morning as long as it's dark under here," Ruby replied, her voice muffled by the plush.

Ren chuckled. "Still tired, I take it?"

Pyrrha walked over. "Did Jaune talk in his sleep again?"

"Hey, I don't do that!"

"Yes, you do," Nora trilled. "Just the other night, you were asking over and over again to hug Pumpkin Pete!"

"Was not!"

Ruby sat up, yawning. "I had a bad dream. I'm okay, though."

Pyrrha tilted her head, eyes darkening with concern. "Do you have nightmares often? We could have slept with you sooner if that was the case."

"It's not super often," Ruby assured her. "It's just that I've had the same dream a bunch of different times." She told them briefly about the dream, electing again to not focus on any of the specific images, and just saying that she saw people getting hurt or killed. "It always feels so real. When I'd have it at the apartment, I'd check everyone's rooms to make sure they were okay." She stared at the ground. "It was kinda bad a few times, since there were nights when I was the only one there, and I didn't want to annoy them by repeatedly texting, so…"

"I doubt they would have been annoyed," Ren said as he sat on one of the arms of the sofa near Ruby.

"You also could've texted us," Nora added.

Pyrrha nodded, moving over to sit on the end of the couch next to Jaune. "I think we've all had dreams of that nature. It comes with our profession."

Ruby nodded. "Yeah…" She wiped her eyes. "I know they're just dreams, but I hate the thought of losing any of you."

Nora promptly snuggled into Ruby's side, hugging her tightly. "You won't lose us! In case you haven't noticed, we kick major butt."

Ren ruffled Ruby's hair. "We are in a dangerous profession, but worrying takes up unnecessary time. At least, that's how I see it." He stood up and headed toward the kitchen. "I'll be making eggs and bacon with breakfast." He glanced at the window. "And probably coffee. Looks like it's going to rain today."

He turned out to be right. By the time breakfast was over, the relentless sound of pounding raindrops echoed throughout the house. Ruby peeked outside and saw a sheet of liquid grayness. "So much for sparring today," she muttered.

Nora grinned. "I say we have a cuddle session today! Ruby hasn't had one yet, so it's perfect!"

Pyrrha noticed Ruby's curious look. "Essentially, we gather in our room in our pajamas and spend the day in. We may have a movie running. Ren usually reads something. We keep the coffee machine going. It's just a nice, relaxing day."

Ruby smiled. "That sounds fun."

Nora nodded eagerly. "Maybe we can finally settle who your first kiss is gonna be." She winked.

Jaune patted Nora's shoulder. "Sorry, Nora. I already took that one last night."

There was almost no reaction from Ren or Pyrrha, but Nora folded her arms with a pout. "Aw, you cheated! You never called dibs!"

"Neither did you."

"Yeah, I did!"

"No, you just talked about who was going to call dibs. You never _actually_ called dibs."

Ruby scooted over and touched a quick peck to Nora's pouting lips, tasting maple syrup. "Will you take my second kiss as a consolation prize?"

Nora shrugged. "I will when I actually get it. I barely even felt that."

"Nora, don't be mean," Ren scolded.

"I'm not being mean! I'm oh-so-kindly offering to teach our newest girlfriend the ins and outs of kissing." She stuck out her tongue. "I'm being a total saint here."

Pyrrha chuckled. "I'm not sure if that's what qualifies one for sainthood."

"Well, it should!"

Ruby giggled. "I don't mind you teaching me. There won't be a quiz, will there?"

Nora smirked mysteriously. "Maybe there will, maybe there won't." She snorted. "Just kidding. You'll be fine."

Once the kitchen was cleaned up after breakfast, the five relocated to the bedroom. Like with their movie night, all pillows and blankets were brought in. Ruby propped her giant corgi against the end of the bed with its face tilted toward the television screen. Ren sat down on the floor next to the plushie and opened a book. Jaune and Pyrrha curled up at the head of the bed and started kissing softly while Jaune wrapped a blanket around them. Nora was sitting near the foot of the bed, turquoise eyes bright as she waited for Ruby to join her.

Ruby sat down on the edge of the bed, blushing and averting her eyes when she saw Jaune and Pyrrha.

"Actually sit on the bed, Ruby! Come on. It's freaking massive," Nora encouraged. "And don't worry. We're all keeping it PG today. We don't wanna rush you, or anything." She glanced toward Jaune and Pyrrha. "Well, PG-ish."

Ruby smiled hesitantly as she sat cross-legged on the bed in front of Nora. "I'm just not really used to this kind of thing. I mean, I've always seen you together and wanted to be part of it, but…"

"Hey, don't worry!" Nora chirped. "You should've seen our early days. How many times did one of us fall off the bed, Ren?"

"Too many," Ren muttered, flipping a page. "And it was usually me."

"And let's not forget all the times we bonked our heads together!" Nora laughed.

"I certainly try to."

"Oh, stop." Nora turned back toward Ruby. "So, here's the first rule: No being embarrassed. We won't laugh at you for anything." Something occurred to her. "Adorably-flustered, on the other hand, is totally allowed. Encouraged, actually. But, we'll get to that when you start kissing Ren."

"Wait, what?" Ren looked up.

"Nothing, sweetie. Read your book." Nora held up two fingers. "Rule number two: If you're not comfortable with anything, let us know. And…" She paused. "Actually, those are the main ones. Any questions?"

Ruby smiled at Nora, feeling her hesitance fading as she was reminded yet again of the group's easy acceptance. "Yeah. Can I kiss you now?"

Nora giggled. "Sure!" She scooted forward, leaning in and pausing just as her lips were barely brushing Ruby's. Happy butterflies were fluttering in her stomach. _This is so exciting!_ she thought, trying to suppress the urge to squeal.

Ruby closed her eyes and allowed her lips to press fully against Nora's. She brought one hand up to lightly cup her cheek while Nora immediately wrapped her arms around her. When Nora moved her lips eagerly against hers, Ruby clumsily tried to imitate her. The kiss was heated and sent sparks through both girls, prompting them to nestle closer together. Ruby could still taste maple syrup on Nora's lips, and curiously let her tongue dart out.

Nora immediately parted her lips, encouraging Ruby to keep going. A hesitant tongue slipped in, and Nora gladly stroked it with her own. This lasted for only a minute before Ruby pulled back, face flushed, slightly short of breath. Nora grinned. "Not bad! You sure you haven't gotten any practice before?"

Ruby's cheeks darkened. "Nope. You guys are the first."

The bed shifted as Jaune and Pyrrha sat up. Pyrrha scooted over, drawing Ruby easily into her lap and nuzzling the top of her head. "You really are adorable," she murmured.

Ruby hid her blushing face against Pyrrha's shoulder. "Am not," she protested weakly.

"I think we can unanimously disagree with you," Ren called from his position on the floor.

"Ren, get up here!" Nora urged. "You need a turn."

Meanwhile, Pyrrha was tilting Ruby's face toward hers. "May I?"

Ruby nodded, smiling as Pyrrha drew her into a warm, slow kiss. Almost immediately, she noticed several differences between this and Nora's kiss. While Nora's had been hyper and eager, Pyrrha's was very calm. She had all the time in the world, and was wholly content with taking all the time she needed to thoroughly kiss her girlfriend. Ruby snuggled against her chest, loving how warm and safe Pyrrha's embrace was.

A high-pitched squeal caused the kiss to end as Ruby and Pyrrha turned toward Nora, who was now in Jaune's lap and being tickled mercilessly. She wriggled in his arms and laughed, batting playfully at him. Ren was just placing his book on the table by the bed and approaching.

He sat down near Pyrrha and questioningly held out a hand. Ruby took it, letting him draw her against his side. His cool, soft palm skimmed her cheek as his lips barely brushed her forehead. He traveled down to her other cheek, his breaths caressing her skin. Then, he gently but firmly kissed her waiting lips.

Ruby all but melted against Ren's side as his light, but passionate kiss swept her away. He pulled away every now and then, leaving millimeters between them, allowing Ruby to take a breath, before leaning in again. It would be so easy to just keep kissing him for hours on end. Ruby wondered if any of the others had ever just spent the day taking turns experiencing Ren's gentle touch. They probably had.

Finally, it was Jaune's turn. He held out his arms, already having released Nora from her tickle-induced torment. When Ruby crawled into his lap, he hugged her tightly while messing up her hair with one hand. "Hey," he murmured before leaning in to kiss her.

Ruby smiled, and felt Jaune doing the same. His kiss was both gentle and exuberant. She could immediately tell how ridiculously happy he was feeling in that moment. She pressed closer, slipping her fingers through his fluffy hair and tugging a little, causing Jaune to make a noise in his throat as he deepened the kiss. Their tongues wrestled playfully, and Ruby even felt brave enough to leave a few quick pecks on his throat.

Throughout the day, the group continued to enjoy each other's company in that blissfully-lazy atmosphere. Ruby was passed between the members of Team JNPR, who were all too eager to hold, kiss, and cuddle with their newest girlfriend. They reluctantly went to the kitchen to eat lunch, then returned to the room. Ren eventually resumed reading his book. Nora curled up next to him and fell asleep. Ruby sat between Jaune and Pyrrha, half dozing, half watching the TV.

When the first knock could be heard on the door, it took a few seconds to register. By the time Jaune stood up, there was another knock ringing out. He glanced toward the window, frowning. _Who could be coming here in this weather?_

He was given his answer when he opened the door to see a very wet, very bedraggled Yang standing on the doorstep. Behind her was a grumbling Blake and a stone-faced Weiss, both huddled under a large blue umbrella.

Yang flashed a sleepy grin that held the barest traces of a still-lingering hangover. "Hey, Jaune. If you don't mind the smell of wet cat, is it okay if we come in?"

 **Ah, AUs where nothing bad happened… They're just so nice, aren't they? I'll see you next time with the final chapter of this lovely commission. I take no responsibility for any cavities you may or may not have acquired while reading this.**

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	7. Team RWBY Reconciled

**Hello, my lovelies! We are back with the finale of this lovely poly commission. This was a lot of fun to type, and it kinda makes me want to see how many people I can fit into a poly fic. *rubs hands together* In the meantime, enjoy!**

 _Earlier that day_

"I'm just saying that more security should be sent to these protests. We don't want a repeat of that incident with the shop windows last week," Weiss was saying as she unlocked the door to the apartment.

Blake rubbed her eyes irritably and suppressed a yawn. "That was one time, and the people responsible were arrested. Half of them weren't even Faunus."

"It has nothing to do with being Faunus. That's my point! These people will use any excuse to loot and steal. It ultimately leads to a decrease in the reputation of your protesters. More security would help with that. I can send some people from the company. We got new staff after I took over, so you have nothing to worry about." Weiss stepped in, stopping short with a groan when she saw a familiar figure passed out on the couch.

Blake looked over and shook her head. "Wasn't she like this the last time we saw her?"

"She'd better get her act together. Our next hunt is in three days." Weiss walked over to the couch and shook Yang's shoulder. "Yang! Get up, you oaf!"

Yang pulled a pillow over her face. "G'way…" she mumbled.

Weiss only shook harder. "It's past noon. How late were you out?"

"Uh…"

"Is Ruby here?" Blake wondered, walking past the two and toward the bedrooms. "I asked her to make some phone calls to our representatives about that bill for unbiased education on Faunus Civil Rights."

Realizing that forcing Yang out of bed wasn't going to work, Weiss decided to play nice. "Do you want me to make you coffee?"

"…Uh huh."

"Cream and one sugar?"

"Mm hm."

Weiss rolled her eyes, and started toward the kitchen. At that moment, Blake came back out.

"Hey guys, did you know Ruby's been gone for over a week?" she asked, holding up a piece of paper.

This caused Yang to sit up, her pillow falling to the floor next to the sofa. "Wait, what…?" She blinked a few times as she tried to regain her senses. "Hm. Well, I was at Coco's for a few days, then I was hanging with Junior, then I… Yeah, this is the first time I've been here in… I dunno." She groaned, rubbing her head. "Remind me to never touch tequila again…"

"Where did Ruby go?" Weiss asked, turning on the coffee machine.

Blake was looking at the note, ears flicking, a frown on her face. "She's with Team JNPR… I'm not sure I like the tone of this note, though."

Yang got up and staggered over while Weiss peered at the note over Blake's shoulder. "Lemme see that." Yang took the note and read it out loud.

" _Hey, guys. I'm not sure if you'll see this, but I'm going to spend the next few days with Team JNPR. There's nothing to worry about. I just need to get away for a bit. If I don't hear from you, I guess I'll meet you at the usual spot for the airship in two weeks. Later."_

Weiss frowned. "You're right. There's something almost…sad and resigned about this."

Blake nodded. "Yeah, and why'd she leave a note on the door instead of texting us?"

Yang folded her arms. "She hadn't really been texting much lately. I was wondering about that." She looked at the note again. "She said she wasn't sure if we'd see this. So, what? She was okay with just leaving, as if we wouldn't notice?!" Her eyes took on a reddish tinge.

Blake's ears drooped. "But…we _didn't_ notice." She pointed to the bottom of the note. "Two weeks. She wrote this two weeks before our hunt. It's three days away now."

There was a moment of silence as the three looked at each other. Finally, Yang spoke up. "Well, crap."

Weiss took out her Scroll. "I'm calling her."

Blake put a hand on her wrist. "No. I think we should go over there."

"Right now?" Weiss shook her head. "I have several forms to fill out today. And didn't you have to call someone involving a certain event that-"

"I think it can wait," Yang cut in, walking over to the coffee machine and pouring herself a cup. "We'll leave in one hour. You guys cool with that?"

Weiss and Blake glanced at each other, then nodded.

It ended up taking much longer. Weiss got a call from work that took over an hour, and had to argue with her assistant for even longer about the fact that the forms would be a day late. Blake had to rearrange a meeting with some protestors and leave instructions with Velvet on when the next anti-bullying campaign would be. Yang, in the meantime, drank three cups of coffee and was feeling almost sober by the time the others were finally ready.

Weiss opened a large umbrella as they stepped outside. Yang strode ahead, insisting that the rain would help wake her up. The airship ride was mostly silent, with Weiss texting, Blake flipping through a book, and Yang staring out the window.

 _I can't believe we didn't realize Ruby was gone for over a week,_ she thought, glaring at her reflection. _I mean, she hasn't been doing stuff like Blake and Weiss, so she should've been around._ She glanced downward. _I guess, by that logic, I should've been around more too…_

When they arrived at the door, a pajama-clad Jaune answered and quickly let them in. "Hold on. Let me get some towels." He walked back toward the bedroom, peeking his head in. "We got company, guys. Pyrrha, could you get some towels?"

The others snapped out of the lull that had descended during their day-long cuddle session. Ruby slid off the bed, tilting her head. "Who's here?"

"Weiss, Blake, and Yang," Jaune replied.

Ruby blinked. "Wait, they're here? Like, right now?"

"They probably came looking for you," Pyrrha pointed out. "This is a good sign. Why don't you go talk to them? We'll find some towels and warm clothes." She pecked Ruby's cheek as a hesitant expression came to the smaller girl's face. "Go on. They're your friends. They'll listen."

Ruby nodded slowly, taking a deep breath before getting up and going into the next room. Yang was standing just inside the door, dripping on the floor mat. Weiss and Blake, who were significantly drier, had folded their umbrella and were standing near the armchair. They all looked up as Ruby walked in.

"Hey, sis!" Yang called. "I'd hug you, but I think Ren would kill me if I dripped all over the carpet."

"That's why we wanted you to bring an umbrella, you dunce," Weiss snapped, folding her arms. "It'll probably take three blowdryers to get that mop to stop dripping."

"Mop?! Oh, you're so lucky you're all the way over there!"

"How are you, Ruby?" Blake asked, speaking over Weiss and Yang. "You seemed a little…sad when you wrote that note. Is something wrong?"

"Yeah, and if it is, why didn't you come talk to us?" Yang asked. "Not that these guys aren't awesome, of course," she added as Pyrrha and Jaune returned with towels.

Pyrrha chuckled when she saw Yang's hair. "We may need a few more." She handed her towels over.

"Heh. Sorry. I kinda got hammered last night, and thought the rain would wake me up."

"Well, we'd better get changed," Jaune said, indicating his pajamas. "And we should probably see about dinner. Ren said he's fine with cooking for everyone, since you really shouldn't go back out there until tomorrow." A flash of lightning outside further emphasized his point.

"We really don't want to impose…" Weiss started, but trailed off when Pyrrha held up a hand.

"You're our friends. You're always welcome. Just get yourselves dried off. There's coffee and cocoa in the kitchen." She took Jaune by the arm and led him back to the room.

There was a moment of silence after the door closed, broken only by Yang vigorously rubbing her hair. "So," Ruby began awkwardly. "How are you guys?"

Weiss rolled her eyes. "Well, we came out here in the pouring rain after finding out you've been gone for over a week."

"Hey, you guys have been gone for longer than that before! At least _I_ left a note!" Ruby snapped before mentally slapping herself. _Wait, don't start off by yelling at them! That won't do any good!_

Yang frowned, tossing her towel to the side. "What's up, sis? I mean, it's one thing if you just wanted to visit the guys for a few days. That's fine. But, we kinda got a feeling that something else is going on here."

Ruby nodded, letting out a sigh. "Is it okay if we sit?"

Once Yang was dry, Team RWBY situated themselves on the couch and armchairs. Ruby held the giant corgi against her chest, hugging it for moral support. "Well, before I say anything, I want you guys to know that I'm glad you've found lives outside of being Huntresses. I really am happy for all of you." She glanced at Yang. "Well, I'm a little more worried about you, but I'm not gonna lecture right now."

"Just tell us what it is, Ruby," Blake urged. "We're your friends."

Ruby took a deep breath. "It's just… I feel like I never see you guys anymore. We hunt together, but then you're off on your own almost immediately afterward. At first, I thought it was just because you were getting used to things like running a company or doing protests, but then I just kept not seeing you." She shook her head. "I'm not like the rest of you. I'm not good with parties or public events or anything like that. I just want to hunt Grimm and spend time with my friends."

Yang wrapped an arm around her sister's shoulders. "So, you've been feeling abandoned. That's what I'm hearing."

Ruby nodded. "Yeah. I mean, I don't want you guys to stop doing what you're doing. Just…maybe do less?" She looked at each of them in turn. "Blake, I know you haven't been eating or sleeping enough. I see those bags under your eyes. Weiss, you've been working yourself into the ground because you feel responsible for what the company has done in the past. You shouldn't, though, and you should be able to have some time to yourself. And Yang, I get wanting to party, but do you have to go to the most dangerous parts of Vale to do it?" She shrugged. "It doesn't have to be the first priority, but I really want our team to at least be _a_ priority for everyone…"

For a few seconds, all was silent as the three other members of Team RWBY exchanged guilty glances. Then, Yang pulled Ruby into a hug.

"I hear ya, sis," she sighed. "I guess we've just been swept up by everything. Honestly, I've reached a point where I don't even count days anymore. It's just a blur of partying, hunting, and thrill-seeking. When you don't notice time passing, you don't really realize certain things."

Weiss was nodding. "I see what you mean. For me, it's been a blur of work, breaks, and our occasional hunts." She looked at her hands. "I can't remember the last time I've actually practiced using my glyphs, now that I think about it."

Blake rubbed her eyes again. "I think we've all had that problem." She looked at Ruby. "I guess we didn't stop to think about how all these changes would affect each other. I'm sorry, Ruby."

"Me too," Weiss said. "I'm your partner. I should have realized…"

"Hey, I'm her sister! If anyone screwed up, it's me."

Ruby shook her head. "No, I should have said something sooner. I'm the team leader, after all. Communication is a two-way thing, right?" She glanced at the others. "Or, I guess four-way in our case."

"We should talk about this more when we get home," Weiss said, glancing toward the door to the JNPR bedroom. "But right now, I think we should let our friends come out. I have a feeling they've been waiting in there for us to finish talking."

"They have," Ruby replied. "Guys, come on out. We're good."

Almost immediately, the door opened and Nora fell on her face. "Ow! Jaune!"

"Hey, I didn't tell you to lean right against the door." Jaune stepped over her and approached the couch. "So, what are you guys in the mood for?"

"If Ren's cooking, I'm fine with anything," Yang said, grinning easily. "Surprise me."

Ren nodded. "I think I have enough chicken and parmesan for everyone. Nora, want to help me?"

"Kay!" Nora leaned over the back of the sofa to hug Ruby, then skipped into the kitchen after Ren.

Jaune smiled at the others. "So, anyone up for a board game?"

"Just as long as it isn't Monopoly," Yang laughed. "We're just mending our team's relationship. No need to start ruining any other friendships."

Jaune took a moment to count everyone. "Well, we have six people. How about Betrayal at House on the Hill?"

Ruby sat up straighter. "Oooh! I love that game!"

A few minutes later, they had the floor cleared and Jaune was setting down the various tiles. Weiss frowned as she looked at her character card. "The little markers aren't staying still."

"Just write your stats down. It's easier that way."

As they played, lighthearted banter between everyone became easier and easier. Ruby found herself laughing at several points as the they moved their game pieces around, groaned when Jaune took forever to roll his dice, and cheered whenever someone drew an Omen card.

Finally, Blake drew one and frowned. "I got the Dog. Of course."

"Roll it," Jaune encouraged.

Blake picked up the dice and rolled. "That's less than the number of Omen cards, so does that mean the haunt begins?"

"Yep." Jaune handed her a booklet. "That means you're the traitor. Look at the room and Omen card, and read up on what you're supposed to do. Go into the next room so you can't hear us."

Ruby looked at their booklet. "Ooh, Blake's a werewolf trying to turn us!"

Yang grinned. "Sweet!"

Once they read over the rules and Blake came back, the gameplay got even more intense. Ruby was the first to be turned, and took great joy in howling whenever her turn came. "I got you, Pyrrha! Join our epic pack of awesomeness!"

"Never, you filthy beasts!" Pyrrha declared, rolling her dice. "That beats your strength score!"

"Nooo! Blake, help me!"

By the time Ren called everyone for dinner, the game was over, and the group was putting the pieces away, still laughing. Nora grinned at them as they came in. "So, did the traitor win?"

"Yep," Ruby replied. "We're now a werewolf pack that will take over the world!"

"Getting Yang ended up being the hardest thing," Jaune commented. "She was able to fight us off for a long time."

After yet another perfect dinner by Ren, the group got ready for bed. Pyrrha lent some of her pajamas to Weiss, Blake, and Yang. When they started to express worry about space in the living room, Ruby quickly volunteered to sleep with the rest of Team JNPR.

Yang raised an eyebrow. "Oh-ho. You guys have gotten a bit closer, have you?"

Ruby blushed. "Yeah, actually. Um, you see we're kinda-"

"Together-together!" Nora chirped as she walked by, winking at Ruby over her shoulder.

"Hey, Jaune!" Yang shouted. "What's with sucking my little sister into your harem, huh? Aren't two girls and a guy enough?"

Jaune rolled his eyes. "It's an entirely mutual thing between all parties, Yang. I don't think I could handle an actual harem."

"It honestly makes sense," Weiss said, shrugging her shoulders. "You and the others were always a bit more affectionate with Ruby."

Blake snickered. "I guess the apartment will be basically empty now. Ruby's got two boyfriends and two girlfriends to deal with."

"Hey, I'm still gonna make time for you guys!" Ruby protested.

Yang ruffled Ruby's hair playfully. "We're just messing, Ruby. We know you'll make time for us. And we'll work on making more time for each other. For now, let's just get some sleep. I'm beat."

"Don't you even start whining about being tired! You slept until past noon!" Weiss snapped.

"Getting over a hangover is tiring work!"

"Oh, boo-hoo."

Ruby rolled her eyes as she followed Jaune into the bedroom. "At least they're bickering like normal."

Jaune closed the door. The others were already on the bed. "So, do you think everything's good now?" he asked.

Ruby nodded. "I think so. We'll talk more about it when we get home tomorrow."

Nora sat up and pouted. "Aw, you're leaving?"

"Well, we do have a hunt in two days," Ruby reminded her. "And the team has a lot to talk about." She hopped onto the bed and hugged Nora. "I'll make sure to come back and visit afterward, though!"

"You'd better!" Nora kissed Ruby deeply, running a hand up and down her back, smirking when Ruby trembled against her. "We'll miss you, after all."

"C'mon, Nora. Don't hog Ruby all to yourself," Jaune said jokingly as he pulled Ruby into his lap and kissed the side of her neck.

"Jaune!" Ruby squeaked. "That tickles!" She struggled against Jaune, trying to muffle her giggles. "Cut it out! The others are in the next room."

Jaune moved his lips up to her cheek, pecking her softly. "Okay, I see your point. Though Yang is probably already coming up with a hundred different ways to tease us, regardless of what we do."

"Well, yeah. She's Yang." Ruby turned around so she could kiss Jaune fully. She could feel his smile on her lips, and gladly pressed closer, humming happily as his warm arms wrapped snugly around her.

Ren, who was lying next to Pyrrha, opened one eye. He was almost asleep, due to his taller girlfriend methodically stroking his hair, but he managed to hold out an arm and let out a sleepy grunt.

Jaune, understanding immediately, scooted to the head of the bed and let Ruby off of his lap so she could curl up between Ren and Pyrrha. He smiled as he watched Ren tiredly wrap his thin arms around Ruby's small form.

Ruby cuddled close to Ren, brushing her lips lightly against his cheek while slowly rubbing his chest. Her heart warmed as his breathing grew deeper, signaling that he had fallen asleep completely. "Night, Ren," she murmured, touching a quick kiss to his parted lips.

Pyrrha draped an arm over both Ruby and Ren, nuzzling warm kisses into Ruby's hair. She scooted closer, so that her front was pressed against Ruby's back.

Ruby gladly snuggled back against Pyrrha, watching through half-lidded eyes as Nora curled up on Ren's other side. The bed sank behind Pyrrha, signaling that Jaune had settled down there. He reached over to brush some of Ruby's hair from her face, then let his arm lie across her and Pyrrha, resting his head near Pyrrha's.

The combined warmth of Ren, Nora, Pyrrha, and Jaune enfolded Ruby like a soft cocoon, making her drowsy and content. Her eyes closed almost of their own accord as she snuggled deeper into the pillows. She yawned when someone pulled the blanket over all of them.

"I love you guys," she sighed, savoring the sound of Ren's heart beating against her ear and the feeling of Pyrrha's against her back.

"We love you too!" Nora piped up, reaching over to boop Ruby's nose.

"Sleep well," Jaune said, closing his eyes and kissing the top of Pyrrha's head.

Pyrrha turned just enough to share a kiss with Jaune, then relaxed back into the mattress, holding Ruby protectively against her.

Ren shifted in his sleep, muttering something inaudible that caused Nora to giggle and kiss his cheek.

The feeling of mutual warmth and comfort surrounded the five as they drifted off, assured that everything truly was going to work out for everyone.

Meanwhile, in the living room, Yang was snickering as she talked to Weiss and Blake in a hushed tone from her spot on the floor. "So, what do you think? Are we gonna get sucked into the JNPR harem next?" She wiggled her fingers mysteriously.

"Cut it out," Blake said, hitting Yang with a pillow. She and Weiss had taken up opposite sides of the giant couch. The corgi plush sat near Yang, serving as a pillow. "Ruby's really happy. I'm glad they were here for her."

"I am too. I'm just sayin'." Yang grinned. "It could happen."

Weiss let out a superior sniff. "I find it highly unlikely."

"Yeah. That's just not how things work," Blake insisted.

"Soooo, you're saying the three of us should start our own separate harem?"

This suggestion was met with several pillows knocking a laughing Yang to the floor.

The following morning saw Ren making a large breakfast for both teams. Team RWBY took care of packing their leader's bags. Finally, Ruby stood with the others, her giant stuffed corgi leaning against her bag.

"Thanks again, guys," she said, kissing each of the members of Team JNPR in turn, savoring the differences between them and committing them to memory. She ran her fingers through Jaune's hair, feeling his smile against her skin. Pyrrha held her tightly, pressing warm, soft lips firmly to hers. Nora took her breath away and sent heated sparks down her spine. Ren held her gently and pressed his lips tenderly to hers in a way that lingered when she backed away.

She already hated the thought of not seeing them for several days. _If you're lucky, the hunt won't last longer than a week. Then, you just need to wait for them to get back from theirs. Besides, you got a team to bring back together._

Weiss, Blake, and Yang were waiting patiently by the door as Ruby said her goodbyes, then led her out and toward the airship station.

"Sooo," Yang drawled once they were a good distance from the house. "You gonna give me a detailed account of what a five-some is like?" She waggled her eyebrows.

Weiss punched Yang's shoulder. "Don't be vulgar!"

Blake covered her mouth to hide a snicker.

Ruby's face turned bright red as she sputtered indignantly. "I didn't do anything like that!"

"One at a time, then? Or two? Three, then one? Come on, sis. Details!"

" _Yang!_ " Ruby covered her ears. "Ew, ew, ew, ew, EW!"

Team JNPR watched from the doorway. They couldn't hear what was being said, but the banter was familiar enough to tell them that everything was going to be fine. Smiling, they closed the door and got ready for yet another day together.

 **Not gonna lie: I'm finding myself shipping Bee's Schnees in this particular AU. You get a poly team! You get a poly team! Everybody gets a poly team! I hope you guys enjoyed this nice hunk of fluff.**

 **Commissions are still open! I have two slots left. You know you see a slot with your name on it.**

 **My P/atreon is Solora Goldsun. Patrons get earlier updates, requests, and even discounts on commissions! Pledge, and help out a post-college writer.**

 **Peace out!**


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